Estimation of Exposure to Boron from Children's Slime Use in Korea

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the boron concentrations in 30 slime products and estimate children's dermal exposure to boron. Methods: Thirty slime products from online and offline stores were purchased for boron analysis. The boron content of each slime sample was analyzed using ICP-OES. A nationwide survey was performed to determine use patterns of slimes by a home-visit survey of 10,000 children divided into three age groups: 0-2, 3-6, and 7-12 years. The dermal exposure to boron was calculated using an exposure algorithm for child slime users. Results: The proportion of the child population using slime was 45.8%, and the mean use frequency was $2.5{\pm}3.8$ per week (range: 0.08-35). Mean time spent playing with slime was $19.6{\pm}11.3min$ (range: 1-100). Twenty-five of the thirty slimes contained a boron concentration exceeding the EU limit for toys made with sticky material of 300 mg/kg. Dermal exposure ranged from $0.0008-13.78{\mu}g/kg/day$ with the maximum weight fractions of boron in the 30 products. The dermal exposure estimate was the highest in 7-12 years old group. Conclusion: Slime use among Korean children may cause high exposure to boron. Regulation is needed to minimize boron exposure from slime products.

슬라임(액체괴물) 중 붕소 함량과 어린이의 붕소 노출량 추정